Clothes package



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United States Patent 2,887,221 CLOTHES PACKAGE William W. Woodward, Godfrey, Ill., assignor to Alton go? Board Company, Alton, Ill., a corporation of e aware Application March 14, 1957, Serial No. 646,131

8 Claims. (Cl. 206-65 This invention relates to paperboard containers, and more particularly to a package for garments and the like.

It will be understood that suits, topcoats, etc. are often shipped in a box, but there is a problem in preventing the garments from shifting about with adverse effects upon their condition when subsequently unpacked. Accordingly, it has been proposed that garments be folded about flat paperboard forms before placement in a box. It has even been suggested that the garment form may have a hole, which cooperates with a post especially fixed within the carton, but the bottom portion of such a garment form is free to shift laterally. Also, when several such forms are packed in the same container, as is common, there is a problem in arranging the layers for efficient use of available space, since some portions of a garment are usually bulkier than other portions. .A staggered arrangement, which would be efiicient spacewise, is not practical when the forms are to be secured on a common hanger within the car-ton.

The invention therefore has for its object, the provision for a shipping package wherein garments may be staggered, each garment being folded upon a paperboard form, and the form being locked against displacement at its opposite ends.

Among the several more specific objects of the invention may be noted the provision of a suit-packing form, about which both coat and pants may be quickly folded; the provision of a garment-packing form of economic, sturdy construction; and the provision of a garment-packing form adapted to function as a conventional coat and pants hanger.

Other features of the invention will be in part apparent from and in part pointed out in the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a top plan view of an open shipping container illustrating the packing system of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective of complete container, parts being broken away;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of an alternative embodiment of the garment-supporting form of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a garment-supporting form such as might be used in packaging a single suit within a box; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of metal hangers that might be used with one of the above garment-supporting forms.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a shipping container, the carton portion of which includes a bottom tray generally designated 1 and a top-closure tray 3. The bottom tray 1 has a rectangular bottom panel 5 and upstanding side walls 7, which may have end flaps 9 for forming the corners of the box, it being understood that the flaps 9 would be secured in some suitable manner, such as by stitching or adhesive. The top closure 3 is similarly formed with a slightly larger rectangular panel 13, from which depend side walls 15, the latter having a telescoping cooperation with the bottom side walls 7. Such cartons are well known in the industry and no claim 2,887,221 Patented May 19, 1959 2 is made to the outer enclosure apart from the combination described below. It should be understood, however, that other types of cartons or outer enclosures may be utilized with this invention.

The invention contemplates the use of elongate garment-supporting forms 17, which are adapted to extend diagonally of the carton and interlock in opposite corners thereof, thereby preventing lateral displacement of the form. Vertical displacement is not usually a problem, since the carton will be completely filled. Each form 17 may be made of corrugated paperboard, preferably with the corrugations running longitudinally so as to provide maximum strength in the longitudinal direction. Such a member is shaped to have right angular edges or a corner 19 at the top end thereof and a corresponding right angular corner 21 at the opposite or lower end thereof, the edges 19 and 21 being disposed so as to have an interlocking cooperation within diagonally opposite corners of the enclosure 1. Otherwise, the garment-supporting form 17 may be cut with shoulder-like edges 23 over which a coat may be hung, and the side margins 25 thereof may converge toward the bottom end as illustrated. The tapering side margins 25 have the advantage of minimizing the amount of paperboard required, it being understood that the forms could be alternated so as to nest when cut from a sheet of paperboard.

In packaging suits, it is often desirable to provide means for holding a pair of pants. In the embodiment illustrated of Fig. 1, an elongate slot is cut at 27 to extend inwardly from one side edge 25 adjacent the shoulder forming edges 23, the slot 27 terminating at a point 29 short of the opposite side of the form, The mouth portion of the slot may be provided with a dove-tail closure flap 31, which is hinged along a score 33 and dovetail car 35 so as to interlock. The flap 31 may be swung outwardly on fold 33 to open the mouth of the main slot 27, thereby permitting the pants to be quickly slipped over the form. The dove-tail car 35 is then pressed back into coplanar interlocking relationship with the remainder of the form in order to strengthen the form at this side. If it is desired to employ the shipping form 17 as a hanger, a hole 37 may be cut at the upper end thereof.

An alternative pants slot is shown in Fig. 3 to be constituted by a pair of cuts 127 extending from one margin of the form to a hinge score 129, thereby providing an elongate bar which is hinged at one end. This bar is adapted to be swung out of the plane of the garment form in order to receive a pair of pants. When returned into substantially parallel relationship, the free end portion 131 of the bar may be stitched or otherwise secured, as indicated in Fig. 3, cars being provided for this purpose.

After the garments have been folded about such supporting forms, they are placed a large carton of the type mentioned above. Each garment support 17 is disposed diagonally, so as to lock in the corners, and the individual garment supports are staggered, there being four different positions with this system, hence it is particularly useful in those instances where a number of garments are to be shipped in a common carton, as at the manufacturing or wholesale level.

Referring next to Fig. 4, there is shown an arrangement more suited to the situation where only one or two garments are packaged in a carton, as occurs in retail trade. The conventional box is only about the width of the garment, hence there is no opportunity or need for the diagonal arrangement described above. Instead, the ends of the garment form 51 are elongated in the transverse direction so. as to provide a top bar 53 and a bottom bar 55, whose ends or feet 57 interlock at opposite ends of the carton. While bars are shown, it should be understood other shapes will also produce the desired result. For example, the, bars may be cut to have foldable flange portions, of such dimensions as to hold the garment at a predetermined level in the box.

Finally, Fig. 5 illustrates "a metal bracket generally designated 61, which can be fastened to the top of one of the previously described paperboard forms, in order to convert it to a more suitable coat hanger. The bracket has a hook 63 formed at one end of an elongate shank 65 and a clip or clasp at the other end of the shank. The clasp has a base 69 'from which may extend prongs 71. A bar 73 is bent from one end of the base 69, and its free end is engageable behind a latch-like formation at the other end of the base. The arrangement is such that clasp may be slipped around the narrow neck portion of a garment support and secured thereto so as to provide a strong hook, by which the garment form may be hung.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that those skilled in the art will understand the structure, function and mode of operation of the invention herein disclosed, and appreciate the advantages thereof. Although several embodiments have been disclosed in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but the drawings and description thereof are to be understood as being merely illustrative. It is realized that many modifications and variations will present themselves to those skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit of this invention or the scope thereof as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A clothes package comprising a box having a rectangular bottom and upstanding side walls, and an elongate removable garment-supporting form made of paperboard and shaped so that its opposite ends engage with all four side walls of the box in interlocking relationship, thereby to prevent lateral displacement of a garment folded about the form, the center portion of the form being clear of engagement with the side walls.

2. A clothes package as set forth in claim 1, wherein the opposite ends of the garment form are shaped as corners and are engaged in diagonally opposite corners of the box.

3. A clothes package as set forth in claim 1, including at least two such garment-supporting "forms, each form having a shoulder end and a bottom end, the shoulder 4 ends of the forms being interlocked in different corners of the box.

4. A clothes package as set forth in claim 1, wherein the garment-supporting form is further out to define a pants-supporting edge extending across the form, said pants-supporting edge being openable at one end thereof in order to facilitate the folding of a garment thereabout, and means for closing said openable end of the pants-supporting edge to strengthen the form.

5. A clothes package as set forth in claim 1, wherein the opposite ends of the garment form are elongated in the transverse direction so that each end portion extends the width of the box.

6. A garment-packaging forrn comprising an elongate blank of paperboard cut to define shoulder-1ike edges adjacent one end, a relatively narrow projection above said shoulder-like edges, said projection having right angular margins adapted to engage in the corner of a box, the other end of said form also being shaped with right angular margins adapted to engage in a corner of a box.

7. A garment-packaging form comprising an elongate blank of paperboard cut to define shoulder-like edges adjacent one end, a relatively narrow neck portion projecting above said shoulder-like edges, transverse extensions from the end of said narrow neck portion adapted to engage opposite sides of a box, and transverse extensions projecting from the other end of said elongate form an equal distance so as also to engage the sides of a rectangular box.

8. A garment-packaging .form comprising an elongate blank of paperboard cut to define shoulder-like edges adjacent one end and side margins extending therefrom toward the opposite end of the form, said form further being cut to define a pants slot openable at the edge defining one of said sides, and a closure member hinged to the blank at said side opening for closing said slot,

References Cited in the'file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 467,770 -Colby Jan. 26, 1892 1,044,400 Lewis Nov. 12, 1912 1,667,264 Minnick Apr. 24, 1928 1,907,227 Weil May 2, 1933 2,454,858 Burt Nov. 30, 1948 2,615,602 Thompson et a1 Oct. 28, 1952 

